Issue No. 120 I August 2011

EDITORIAL

The 64^th anniversary of our Independence also heralds the 10^th anniversary of the Yamuna Chronicle. I still recall what provoked me to start the Chronicle, which reflects my musings of events in Yamuna from a purely non controversial perspective. It is my personal view of things and does not necessarily echo the views of the Managing Committee, although it is vetted by a member of the Committee of Control before being issued, to weed out potentially damaging remarks, if any. Residents who wish to air their point of view have this platform available to voice their thoughts. We need inputs to make the colony better and more harmonious.

I have observed that the woman of the house who puts in so much sweat and toil does not get the kudos she deserves. Housewives are the most hardworking people on the planet, without any ostensible rewards. They slave from morning to night without any salary, leave or other perquisites that the husband is accustomed to. Housewives are taken for granted by both the husband and children. From the moment they wake up, they have to get the breakfast ready, make sure the children are ready for school, leave them at the bus stand if they are small and then wait over the husband until he leaves for work. If you think that with the family’s departure there is some respite, perish that thought. She has to take care of all the household needs from shopping for grocery, extracting work from the maids, answering endless rings of the doorbell for courier, delivery boys, gas cylinders, plumbers, electrician, presswalla etc. The list is endless. By the time she is through with all this, she has to prepare lunch. Somewhere, during this time she also has to have a bath, get the clothes washed among other things. When that gets done, the children return from school all messed up. They throw their shoes, bags and other accoutrements wherever they feel like and then plonk themselves on the bed and switch on the TV. She has to holler to get them to bathe and eat lunch and put away their stuff since by now the house looks like a hurricane went through it. In case she lies down to get 40 winks of sleep, she is rudely woken by a phone call either by some insurance or credit card agent or the husband calling to say that he has invited some friends over for dinner and that she should rustle up something delicious, look presentable and spruce up the house. She drags herself from the bed uncomplaining and proceeds to work herself to the bone when the husband triumphantly returns from work, takes of his shoes, puts his feet up on the sofa and proceeds to watch the telly while the wife dutifully brings him some tiffin and coffee. By the time she’s done with cooking a meal for the friends she has back spasms but she has to make the house tidy and look good. She somehow manages it and the friends drop in following which she has to attend to all their needs for drinks, snacks and finally dinner. She has to maintain a plastic smile while her back is making her head spin. After the friends leave, she has again some tidying up to do and she is left with just enough energy to make it to the bed only to wake up early the next morning when the chores repeat. While we all look forward to the weekend, a housewife dreads it as it means more work ministering to the husbands and children’s demands. This does not however, apply to working women or those with an army of servants and maids.

Can we all pause and think what we are putting our wife/mother through and plan to at least take the load off her once a month by reversing roles or taking her out? Maybe, we should plan an eat out in the Yamuna lawns once a month when food is ordered out or cooked by the husband and maybe, throw in a bit of tambola, games and entertainment.

Heavy showers on the morning of Independence Day forced us to change the venue to below the Club House. However, it did not dampen the enthusiasm of the assembled crowd who sang patriotic songs with gusto. The flag was unfurled by the youngest boy and girl present at that time to signal that the future belongs to them and that they need to shape the country into a modern and dynamic republic. Anjali and Samarth who unfurled the flag were obviously oblivious of the significance of the moment. Anecdotal and photographic evidence when viewed in posterity will enable them to see it in the light it needs to be viewed. Apart from the usual band of singers was Mrs. Kalyani of C-204, who sang some patriotic Bharatiyar songs, for the very first time.

On Independence Day, the thought of having a Krishna Leela on Janmashtami was mooted. With barely a week to go, Prema took on the challenge. She roped in Hema Malini, Vidya Venkat and Mrs. Chari (Seema’s mother) to choreograph the Mukunda dance on the mini stage in the badminton court. The dancers Riya, Aparna Raju, Aparna Varma, Kiyana, Sahana, Radhika, Julie, Samyukta, Shreya, Shreeja and Samiksha portrayed the ten avatars of Maha Vishnu with Mrs. Chari enacting the dance steps with the respective mudras. The colourful pageant was compered by Tejas of A-103. Vedika, with her flawless diction, related the story of the birth of Krishna. Aparna Raju and Vinay debuted with a Carnatic rendition. Avantika with her dulcet voice and Purvaja exemplified the talent that lies ahead in Yamuna. This was followed by a dance medley in the badminton court with an exuberant bunch of boys consisting of Vinay, Vijay, Aryan, Pradyumn, Anish, Sachin, Mani, Samarth and Shantanu to the tune of Govinda ala re. The grand finale was the cutely dressed Krishna (Samarth) breaking the pot containing the goodies held aloft with a rope by Deepak and Srikanth. Aruna, Bhavani and Meera Varma lent their bit in making the programme a success. Srikanth and Deepak were at hand to set up the equipment and take photographs. Mrs. Meenakshi Thangathurai made the event even sweeter by distributing laddus to all. A fairly large gathering applauded the performers. All photos have been uploaded on the Yamuna Photo Album.

Onam is the most secular festival of India and is celebrated by all communities in Kerala and the Malayali diaspora elsewhere. According to a popular legend, the festival is celebrated to welcome King Mahabali, whose spirit is said to visit Kerala at the time of Onam. To bring the Onam fervour to Yamuna, a Pookolam and Onam feast is planned on10^thSeptember. Due to steep increase in inputs the cost of the lavish Onam feast will set you back by Rs. 180 per person. However, since it is only once a year that you can savour the finger-licking goodness of an Onam feast, it is worth the expense. Please buy the coupons from the Society Office before 5^th September, 2011.

The middle-class, who have been pilloried since Independence for being totally apolitical and apathetic, finally lent their voice through Anna Hazare for his fight against rampant corruption. The surge of support from them threw the political parties off kilter. They finally acquiesced to mull on the Jan Lokpal Bill. Hurrah!

OBITUARY

Shanti Chandrashekaran’s (H-107) untimely demise on 2nd August, 2011 came as a body blow to many of us who knew her quite intimately. Not many knew that she was ill and fewer knew that the end was near and nobody including the doctor knew that it was imminent. I am reminded of the following poem by Easy Eddie:
 
“The clock of life is wound but once, and no man has the power to tell
just when the hands will stop, at late or early hour. Now is the only
time you own. Live, love, toil with a will. Place no faith in time.
For the clock may soon be still."


Unfortunately, be that as it may, since I knew her from the time we were both schoolkids, the suddenness of her death was very shocking. I was overcome with grief like many of her close friends. Apart from being an extremely warm person she was very well accomplished. She was a Doctor in Genetics and one of the foremost in the field the country has produced. Ironically, she was doing research on cell signalling and cancers in the fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster), the very ailment that felled her. She had contributed often to the Chronicle, giving her considerable knowledge about the plants and trees of Yamuna. In fact, I was going to rope her in as a guide for a nature walk this winter. Had she been alive she would have celebrated her birthday two days ago. Alas! It was not to be. May her soul rest in peace. Yamuna residents convey their heartfelt condolence to the bereaved family.


Her family is grateful to the Yamuna community for all the support they got in the hour of crisis.

SNIPPETS

Adhya Ram of C-001, daughter of Prabhu Ram and Namagiri Anand celebrated her first birthday on Monday, 1^st August, amidst religious chants. She may not have known the significance of the day but she must have certainly perceived that it was a special day with everybody fussing over her. The morning ceremony was followed by a sumptuous lunch. Being a Leo, her traits are predetermined to be that of a leader and breaking the duck is just the beginning.

Ganesh Ponnuswamy of E-205, has made a great career move. Unfortunately, that has come with the unwelcome baggage of moving to Hyderabad. He has joined as All India Head of Sales and Marketing for Estello ­- a leading artificial jewellery brand. His wife, Shahin who was very active in organising the children to enact plays and dance ballets will be sorely missed. The children of Yamuna will also miss the fancy birthday parties of their prince, Shourya.

MIRTH CORNER

Okhil Babu's letter to the Railway Department in 1909:


"I am arrive by passenger train Ahmedpur station and my belly is too much swelling with jackfruit. I am therefore went to privy. Just I doing the nuisance that guard making whistle blow for train to go off and I am running with 'lotah' in one hand and 'dhoti' in the next when I am fall over and expose all my shocking to man and female women on plateform. I am got leaved at Ahmedpur station.


This too much bad, if passenger go to make dung that dam guard not wait train five minutes for him. I am therefore pray your honour to make big fine on that guard for public sake. Otherwise I am making big report to papers."


Okhil Chandra Sen wrote this letter to the Sahibganj divisional railway office in 1909.


It is on display at the Railway Museum in New Delhi.
It was also reproduced under the caption "Travelers' Tales" in the Far Eastern Economic Review.

*********************

1) School Interview in USA for new admission:


Teacher: Who is your Dad?
His Mom shouted: Please ask him simple questions ..!!



2) Doctor: which soap do you use?
Patient: Gopal soap, Gopal paste, Gopal brush..
Doctor: Is Gopal an international company?
Patient: No, Gopal is my room mate...

CALENDAR OF EVENTS FOR SEPTEMBER 2011

DATE	TIME	EVENT	VENUE
10.9.11	7.30 PM	ONAM FEAST AND POOKOLAM	BADMINTON COURT
17.9.11	7.00 PM ONWARDS	LADIES OFF-DAY PICNIC WITH TAMBOLA, OTHER GAMES & DINNER PREPARED BY HUSBANDS OR OUTSOURCED(POT LUCK)	MAIN LAWN
25.9.11	9.30 AM	AGM	COMMUNITY HALL

Issue No. 119 I July, 2011

EDITORIAL

As we hoist the National Flag on 15^th August, there is not much to look back and rejoice at the progress we have made in the 64 years since Independence. We may be more in tune with what is happening around the globe due to the IT revolution. However, the comparison with the world also throws up the infirmities, in our systemic failure to address poverty, hunger, illiteracy, and population control among other things. There does not seem to be any solution to the misgovernance, given the greed of our politicians. A simmering distaste against politicians has been sloshing inside us, but choosing the right party to govern has become a Hobson’s choice. The choice is between the proverbial devil and the deep sea. I wish I had a prophetic glimpse into the future where I could see an India shining bright. Let us in our small way resolve to make the country better by assembling at the badminton court on 15^th August at 9 am to unfurl the national flag, sing patriotic songs, release the balloons, fly kites and partake of some sweets.

Caught in a twilight zone between orthodoxy and modernity, we Indians are yet to come to terms with the question of how to respond to our parents and elders, as we and they grow older. Managing their emotional needs in our crowded schedule is not easy, but since we are brought up in a family-centric culture, the last thing that we want is to leave them to their own devices. For grandchildren, who are told to respect their elders, there is a dilemma. Does it mean indulging grandparents their idiosyncrasies or venerating them even though children have a hard time dealing with some of their foibles? Or remaining cheery even when grandparents insist on treating them as babies? While we are caught in a time warp, these are challenges we must handle with care and delicacy. Parents and elders are as close to God as we can get. Their deeds for their children and grandchildren have always been selfless. The least we can do is to give them the love that they so richly deserve.

The advisory issued a few months ago about pet litter does not seem to have had the desired effect. Recently I heard one resident stating that he is tempted to lace food with poison and place it at the entrance of the flat of the offending dog which was spotted defecating in the colony. I hope he does not resort to such dire actions. At the same time residents who have pets must realise how frustrated the other residents are of this nuisance.

Additionally, litter of plastic bottles, chips packets and other plastic sachets is continuing unabated even though several waste bins have been provided in the colony. It’s a shame that children who do school assignments on environment leave their learning in the classroom and merrily discard such wastes on the road, in the park and the passages between the blocks. Please make yourself and the colony proud by avoiding any form of litter.

There are some residents who are parking cars which are not roadworthy and have not been driven in years. They are thus depriving genuine car users of the privilege of parking their car in the complex. These residents may be of the view that they have squatters’ rights and can claim the slot even when they move out and rent their flat or sell the flat along with the parking slot. They could not be more wrong. The parking slots were not sold to the residents, that they could claim it to be their own. The moment a person moves out, the slot has to be vacated and the person first in the queue is allotted that slot. It is therefore, a waste of money to keep paying parking charges every month to the Society for a car which has only scrap value. It is better to vacate the slot and make it available to the person next in queue and save some money in the process, as also mitigate the hardship of the person in the queue.

The resident cat of Yamuna has delivered a litter of four kittens. They have become a source of great amusement for the children in the colony who like to pet the cute creatures. Cute they may be, but they are seen rummaging through garbage bags and leaving rat carcasses as trophies at the doorstep of some apartments, as gratitude to children feeding them milk. Children should beware against diseases they could contract by maintaining close contact with the kittens. While children look upon the kittens as play things, their arrival has not been well received by some residents. One resident was complaining to my wife that she fears the feline creatures. Of all the commonly known adjectives and attributes one associates with cats like ‘catnap’, ‘cool-cat’, ‘catwalk’, ‘feline grace’, none takes on the menace of striking fear. But this paranoia does have a moniker and it is called ailurophobia, not that one can remember such an esoteric term easily. There is also a fear among some superstitious people that a black cat crossing their path does not augur well. Fortunately, the kittens are all in shades of russet brown, except one which has patches of black on its coat. While the animal population of Yamuna is on the ascendancy, the human population is on the decline. Most of the new arrivals either don’t have any children at all or are quite content with one. Here is the dilemma. Are we going to be overrun by pets or strays as we go forward? The jury is out on that.

The spurt in crime against women is frightening. It is difficult to lay one’s finger at all the possible causes but I can’t help noticing with concern the liberal standards that has been adopted by our censor board in clearing films. Off late there has been a surfeit of films portraying women as objects of lust with obscene dances showing vertical expression of a horizontal desire. In the pursuit of showing realism, these films are also laced with profanities and choice invectives of the lowly street kind. Much as it may be so, showing it in films lends it a form of legitimacy that it was lacking. There is no dearth of cads and rakes in Delhi. The sight of young girls and women streaming out of movie theatres with a smile on their lips, after seeing such films gives these knaves an impression that they are easy game.

SNIPPETS

The reporting standards of the Chronicle touched its nadir when I failed to report on two important events concerning its members. The creation of life is an important and significant aspect of a person’s family. In the following cases it had an added significance.
Balaji and Honey of B-006 who are currently residing in Dwarka were blessed with their first child on 25^th May, 2011. The baby has been named Latika. Balaji and Honey are blessed that Balaji’s parents are living with them and do the baby sitting and more importantly change the diapers! Happy mollycoddling.

Sashank Rastogi and Visakha (Fenu) of B-001, had reason to cheer when on 8^th June, 2011, Fenu delivered a bonny boy and named him Aarav. The significance of a son in a business family cannot be overstated. Two older siblings are both very smart girls. Obviously, the Rastogis and the grandparents, the Govils are over the moon.

Malavika (Malu) of G-101, married her college sweetheart Joseph in Bangalore on 10^th July,2011. The book by Thomas Hardy, Far from the Madding Crowd, comes to mind. We wish the couple the very best.

Mr. R. Muralidaran, Bhanu and Abhinaya of A-210 have shifted out of Yamuna and moved to GK II. Acquisition of a house is always a strong enough reason to tear yourself away from the salubrious environs of Yamuna. We wish them all the best.

Mr. P. K. Prakasan has moved into B-303 in the month of June with his wife Shyni, daughter Abhirami and son Shreeram. Prakasan works as AVP in Citi Financial and is fond of reading and long distance running. Shyni looks after the household and keeps the home and hearth warm. She too is fond of reading. Abhirami who is 12 years old, studies in St George school and loves to play tennis. Shreeram is 4 years old and has joined a nursery school. They can be reached on 9999622755.

Mr. Aman Thakur has moved into G-305 along with his sister Aditi. Aman works for Indus Ind Bank and likes to keep his body and soul in good shape by going to the gym and listening to music. Aditi works for IBM and she too likes to listen to music and in addition loves cooking. They are probably not too fond of the outdoors as both like to trawl the net. They can be reached on 9899984477.


We welcome both the families to Yamuna and hope they are able to integrate well with the rest of us soon enough.

Why teaching is a noble profession…..

Calendar of Events – August 2011

DATE	TIME	EVENT	VENUE
15.8.11	9.00 AM	INDEPENDENCE DAY FLAG HOISTING	BADMINTON COURT
21.8.11	7.30 PM	JANMASHTAMI DECORATIONS	BADMINTON COURT/CLUB HOUSE